7 Essential Ingredients for the Baker's Pantry

They say, if you want to succeed, you must be prepared. The same goes for baking. Step one, make sure you have Drop on your countertop, of course. Step two, ensure your pantry has all the basics.

While Drop rescales your existing ingredients based on what you do have, no one wants to run out to the market when inspiration strikes. Keep these seven essentials in your pantry and you’ll be able to turn out some scrumptious treats at a moment’s notice.

Flours

Just about everything you bake will require some type of flour, and you may not know, the type of flour you use will have an effect on your end result. It’s always recommended to have a variety of flours at your disposal. This can help you make a wide variety of different treats or baked goods, and cater to different dietary needs as well. We recommend a good all-purpose flour, maybe a “strong” bread flour, and possibly a gluten-free flour like almond or coconut.

Butter

Good baking is dependent upon good butter. And just like flour, the type of butter you choose will have an effect on your baking. While there are a few different choices to choose from, like sweet cream butter, salted butter, and unsalted butter, most recipes will call for unsalted butter. We’d go for a good quality, organic, grass-fed butter that’s rich and creamy and will shine in your baked goods.

Eggs

Eggs play an extremely important role in baking. They act as a binding agent and they are also a leavening agent. Most recipes call for large eggs. With Drop, we’ll weigh them for you, so size isn’t quite as important. We love the colorful hues of farm fresh eggs, and pasture-raised is even better, as you’ll find a deep golden yolk inside.

Baking soda and baking powder

Baking soda and baking powder are must-have ingredients that enable your baked goods to rise. With a long shelf-life, there’s no excuse for not keeping this duo on hand.

Nuts

When you’re baking, it’s always fun to “go a little nuts” with your creativity, and there’s no better way to do this than to have a variety of different nuts at your disposal. Walnuts, pecans, pistachios and almonds, are just a few varieties that we use often in the Drop Kitchen app.

Dried fruit

Like nuts, dried fruit is an easy and flavorful addition, and these can be incorporated into cookies, breads, muffins, or just about any other type of baked treat. We use them in many of our recipes and they can be added to cookies, breads and cakes as well for an extra touch of happiness.

Sugars

Who doesn’t love a little bit of sweetness? Sugar brings the sweet to all of your treats, and what many bakers may not realize is just how many sugars there are on the market for baking. Refined sugar, raw sugar, and brown sugar, are some of the most common. But there are other ways to sweeten. For instance, maple syrup and coconut (palm) sugar are purported to be less glycemic which means they don’t spike blood sugar but still add sweetness. Have fun experimenting!

What is your must-have ingredient for baking? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter (@dropkitchen) or Instagram (getdrop).